2ND BUS STOP | MAZES, HEALING & HUNTING [OPEN]

[busstopsign]

Characters: Shinjiro and anyone else who wishes to interact with him
Setting: Various locations! Fabulous prizes!
Format: Any is fine; I'll follow your lead (I started in prose but do action if you want!)
Summary: A guy who goes around places trying not to think too much about the maze and what happened there.
Warning: SMT is suffering. Persona 3 is suffering.

[DORMITORIES - Backdated to the first day after awakening (Locked to Jin)]
The numbness subsided and he stood up, rubbing his head.

He...wasn't sure what to think, and looked down at his hands, before rubbing his head. Had he really...why was Castor back again it was...

No. No it wasn't Castor anymore. No matter how real everything had felt, those last four days of seeing the orphanage burn again and again, how hurtful it had all been he...he wasn't sure if he wanted to see Minako right now. What if it suddenly...no he needed to stop thinking like that! Concentrate on other things!

There were people to thank, as much as he hated thanking anyone. Shinjiro didn't like to owe favors. Others he needed to talk with. Like that asshole in a bed close to his, still sleeping. How do you even talk with a guy who killed you? Didn't know. Probably was having his own demons to fight off, after all. Maybe it was pity he felt, but...whatever. They needed to talk. He'd wait.

[LEVEL 32 - FLOATING ISLAND (no powers)]
It felt odd, not having the sound of any Persona in the back of his head. Knowing that he was, for a short while, just simply a human. It...felt nice at times, although with the situation, he was getting more and more thankful for the fact he could call upon then.

Regardless, the food this month was a farce. That could not do. A series of bags with him, Shinji was busy gathering roots, fruits and leaves. What he could dry later, he would, but most were going to be used in cooking.

If they didn't provide it, he'd make it himself...maybe a nice mushroom soup.

[LEVEL 25 - FLOWER MEADOW]
Most people only saw them as gifts to give to a beloved one (and to be fair a few of these might be going towards this goal) but for the most part, Shinjiro was picking up roses, clovers, dandelions and lavender. He could prepare tea with some of them, and use the others in his cooking to make a salad.

[LEVEL 15 - WORKSHOP]
For the past few days, Shinjiro had spent most of his time on the 15th level, using the forging tools and materials available to him. That labyrinth had sealed it for him, in a way, and he wasn't going to get caught empty-handed for any reason. If he didn't have his axe, he'd make himself one no matter how long it took. But first, there were a few people he needed to thank, for their help...

[This part is opened to everyone but England, Minami and Minako, if you want to meet him this week, he will have something to give you.]

[LEVEL 11 - OPEN AREA, WATERFALLS, NIGHTFALL]
Floor Eleven. The sound of the waterfalls should be soothing, but Shinjiro wasn't here to admire the view or to plummet himself to death. He was waiting for the night to fall, and the rainbows to flip over. Relenting was hard for him, but he knew he needed to practice fighting more. Was it safe to go by himself? Nope. Did he care? Not really.

He needed the practice and alone or with someone and he was going to do it right here...

[LEVEL 6 - FOREST]
Just eating plants wasn't going to be enough, of course. The animals here might be twisted - the birds might have teeth, but they were still, to their very basic, animals. Meat.

He was a cook, he knew how to cut and take care of one. But he'd never actually hunted for them before. A guy like Shinjiro wasn't the definition of someone who'd be good for that kind of stuff either. Which is why he was using his persona instead. Augustus had a lance. That seemed like the best course of action, in this case.

He just needed to find something large enough so he could feed more of them...but that came with its own dangers, didn't it?

[LEVEL 3 - LIBRARY]
Aki would be laughing at him. Him? In the library? You could almost think he was becoming studious! In reality, he was busy looking at cookbooks, trying to enhance his knowledge a little more - hell if he'd ever be caught dead reading wildlife magazines before, but now they actually were teaching him something.

He sat in one of the chairs, a stack of cookbooks and Wildlife's finest on a table nearby.

[LEVEL 1 - KITCHEN]
The first thing you might have notice, if you were the type to go snooping into one of the fridges was a few animals hung with hooks and dripping blood (but don't worry, he had found a pots for all that liquid to go into). Meat wasn't made to be eaten the day an animal died, but it was still a pretty grisly sight for those unprepared for it. Shinjiro hadn't cut and diced it yet, waiting a day more for the meat to rest.

Meanwhile, he was making what looked to be a few vegetarian dishes, and quite possibly cursing the lack of well...ANYTHING this month. At least his chest had come with some salt for his cooking. Next month he'd seriously have to think about stealing things from here or at least drying and smoking it so it could be preserved for later when they decided to pull stunts like this.

Comments

spoilers it's the Dormitory

[morituramfides]

Jin didn't wake up for awhile-- he didn't even notice when he was actually awake and just under sleep paralysis. All he could think about was opening his eyes to those goddamn florescent lights, and sterilized white walls and the smell of sterilization and metal and pricks and the bruises and the shocks and the--

But then he realized that there were no more restraints; nothing tying him down, no tubes in his veins or wires on his head. He squeezed his fists closed; both hands, no obstructions.

He inhaled as deeply as he could and shot up to a sitting a position with a start. The walls were white, and everything was-- stale, but not sterile. He grabbed at the collar on his neck (yep, that was still there), and rubbed his arms as if they were, as if trying to confirm that all of the needles and wires were gone. He stared straight forward without really seeing anything, and his stomach felt nervous and sick. And he didn't notice Shinjiro, too busy lapsing into the neurotic mess he was as a kid in the laboratory.

SHOCK AND SURPRISE

[busstopsign]

That was alright. Shinji had time to spare and think about his own dreams, during that part. How real everything had felt. How helpless he'd been...goddamn bastards for just toying with their emotions like that.

By the time Jin did wake up, he had already go and went off of to the cafeteria to realize all they had were nutritional bars. And water. Wow. Great. If that hadn't wanted to start cooking his own food before, that sure did jump-start it. He was back to leaning on his bed, thinking.

Like Shinji was going to speak right now. Just watch him at the corner of his eye.

I KNOW RIGHT

[morituramfides]

It took him a bit, but eventually Jin was able to calm himself down. His arms dropped back to his sides and he adjusted his glasses on his nose so that he could actually see clearly again.

He finally got out of his own head long enough to notice Shinji in the room-- though the most he did was narrow his eyes. He didn't have as much interest in talking to him unfortunately, and he rotated his legs to hop off the bed, making his way towards the door and hoping to avoid a conversation this time.

Floor 6

[fallen_stage]

[The animals might be twisted, but to Kuja, they were still more animal than monster. Animals followed basic patterns of behavior, weren't as pointlessly aggressive as monsters tended to be.

Who knew the fanged pheasants would eat those awful food bars? Enough to be literally eating out of Kuja's hand at that. When Shinjiro finds him, Kuja will be petting one in his lap, two more after his food.]

[busstopsign]

[The hell was this guy. Shinji turned the other way, because if he was gonna have Snow White following him trying to tell him it was wrong to kill the animals, he had another thing coming.]

Oh poor, naive Shinji.....

[fallen_stage]

[The birds have sharp ears and all stare as one at the rustling nearby. Kuja is likewise on alert. Another beast..?]

Is someone there? I'm going to assume you're a monster and attack otherwise.

flower meadow; WELP let's do this, prepare your feels

[complementing]

[If Shinji ventures in a little further in, he'll notice Minako laying stomach down on the ground, head resting on one arm while the other reaches out to grasp at flowers just out of her reach. Her eyes are puffy and the rings under her eyes are pronounced.]

OH BOY I GOT MY FEELS READY

[busstopsign]

[He does, although at first he's not sure if he should at all. He's...spent four days of live televised nightmares of trying to rescue her before Castor breaks out, and even now there's a small fear...no. No he can control Augustus. He knows this.

He takes another step and...nothing happens. No flames. Nothing. Just a bad nightmare. Shinji calms down and walks closer to her, before sitting to be closer to where she is, putting a hand over her back.]

...hey.

GOOD remember to buckle in your seatbelt too

[complementing]

[She shifts to look up. It's the first time she's felt so incredibly small in front of him. But the touch is reassuring, just like his first step towards her was.

It means that, no matter what fate she'd met in their world, he is right here. With her. He's real.]

Hi.

Shinji, I...

[For once she doesn't know what to say. Where to start.]

Level 32 aka OMG IT'S AN FLOATING ISLAND

[evokingfool]

[Minato's walking around on this island, finding peace in simply...not hearing the voices at the moment. He don't mind their presences, but sometimes he want to hear himself think.

But instead of thinking, his attention got caught by a familiar person.]

...Senpai?

Is it bad I keep imagining it like Angel Island in Sonic the Hedgehog

[busstopsign]

[This was a sight to see. Shinjiro with a basket filled with mushrooms that he knew (because who wanted to die of poisoning here of all things) and a bunch of cattails. He looked surprised to see Minato of all people here.]

...yeah?

nope, it's not bad

[evokingfool]

Gathering things here?

[You don't mind if he comes over and look, right?]

Level 1 - Kitchen

[knightime]

It was slightly impulsive to open the fridges. Impulse, because he never actually took anything from then since he never put food or the what have you into them. He shuts the fridge, his expression neutral as usual.

"Welp. If that wasn't an amazing way to kill my appetite, then I don't know what was." He was partly offended to seeing the animals hanging like that (is that even humane?)and partly sickened because it reminded him too much of his punishment. At least these weren't the bodies of his friends hanging on his arms. Still, he backed away from the fridges. "On the upside, I don't need to force crappy food down my throat."

OH BOY I get to use these icons.

[busstopsign]

Curiosity killed the Jade, apparently. Shinjiro only offered him a half shrug of sympathy.

"Meat's gotta rest for a few days," he explained. "Unless you like eating it hard. All I found were a couple of meat hooks and buckets. It's primitive, but it's all we have." He was saving the large plastic bags to store the meat afterwards too.

At least he seemed to be chopping stuff that didn't look bloody. Just a bunch of flower steams.

It is a beautiful icon omg

[knightime]

"I'm not the one eating it," he replies. It's not like he's the one who caught it. "Just wasn't something I wanted to see when I opened the fridge." Talking to the kid who's used to swords being in the refrigerator after all.

"I forget that some of the people here are actually cooking savvy."

Level 32 - WHY ARE THERE NO POWERS?!

[isthatashortjoke]

Veigar ran around aimlessly in this floor... Well, not particularly running, but pacing at a hurried pace. This floor... it was disconcerting. He could feel the raw power that coursed through him at all times. Any time he tried bending time and space, it came out to nothing, his raised fist not even crackling with a spark of energy...

WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?!

He spotted the other person in the floor and immediately waddled walked in his direction.

"You" he announced with a frown. "What is this place? Why do I feel... so unlike me?"

[busstopsign]

The thing was like a tiny Jack Frost. Shinjiro gave him a glare before answering. The guy's attitude didn't gel to well with him.

"Some floors stop all the skills a user would have."

And with that said, he went right back into foraging, GEE WASN'T HE GREAT AND POLITE?

[fractus_animus]

[ The moment he walks into the kitchen, he... has to stop.

Shinjiro had had the same idea, but seeing the bodies of those animals like this made him horribly ill and reminded him of how he'd murdered all those people in countless ways and he--

Oh, god.

He walks in, freezes, locks eyes with Shinjiro... and then leaves to go be sick.

Welp.

In the meantime he'll eventually be back, if he isn't... followed, but until then? Yeah have a weird Strega encounter. ]

[busstopsign]

[DEAR GODS HAS NO ONE BEEN TO A BUTCHER BEFORE?!

Alright he could see how unappetizing it was but as soon as those animals were ready to be sliced up they'd be gone. He didn't even have time to check if this Minato had an armband or not.

Ahh well. Back to that mushroom and leek soup.]

Floor 25 YOU CAN'T GET RID OF MY TAGS

[nemophila]

"Unity, promise, coquetry, and...mistrust."

Jun had detected this guy's weird resonance from a ways away, and well, it was certainly something to keep his mind occupied. So he's standing behind Shinjiro, a flower of his own in one hand a smile on his face. "That's an...interesting combination."

OH NOES WHATEVER SHALL I DOoo

[busstopsign]

He looks at him incredulously wondering what the hell he's talking about, before looking down at the roses he's holding in his hands.

"Mistrust?" he repeats, looking at the different colored buds. Shinjiro find out the meaning of flowers or astrology? Pffft. He'd given up on that crap a long time ago.

Level 15 - Forward dated /o/

[miseris_socios]

[After all of that... crap... Ken heads towards the workshop. He's not really familiar with most of the tools, but the tape holding his spear together is falling apart. He either needs to find something to hold it together better or make a new one himself.]

[When he steps inside, though, it's the person he least wants to see there.]

[... Or is it? He stays quiet for a few long moments, frozen in the doorway with spear in hand, before he steps in. It disgusts him to have to ask him for help... but he might understand better than most.]

... Busy?

OH boy oh boy.

[busstopsign]

[All the news in the network is making Shinjiro even more on the edge. There's limited food supplies and limited metal to work around with here. He has to be careful with everything. When he turns around, Ken might notice the apron on him, and the fact he seems to be forging a weapon.

Great. Just what he needed. Ken trying to kill him again. With an annoyed sigh, he turns off the hammer and looks at him, arms crossed.]

I ain't in the mood for games.

Level 32

[fracta_anima]

Well, she'd been avoiding people for a while now, doing her usual thing of making rounds of the Tower when she saw him in the field. Minami bit her lip a moment. The last time she'd really talked to him he had.... yeah. She'd almost had a meltdown right after.

might as well let him know she's physically all right. She left the stares and shouted his name, waving one hand.

"It's me! Minami!" she adds so he knows which of the Arisato girls he was speaking with.

[busstopsign]

Oh yes, thank you for the distinction, he actually appreciated it and gave her a small wave back. Confused. As usual.

"Hey." He called back, his basket already half-filled with mushrooms and a few leaves. Man how do you even talk with someone who saw the worst of you in that maze? No idea. He'd been working on a weapon for Minami too, but wasn't sure when he should be giving it to her...considering Shinjiro, that was a common thing.

"Came to pick up something?"